If You Love Moo Deng, Help to Save Her Home!

Moo Deng, the chubby, moody and adorable baby pygmy hippo has highlighted the plight of these elusive large mammals living in Africa’s rainforest and mangrove environments. The message to animal lovers is clear, if you love Moo Deng then take action for her home and boycott products coming from African deforestation like palm oil, cocoa and meat. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

If chubby and cantankerous pygmy #hippo 🦛named #MooDeng could talk, she’d tell us all to stop gawking at her online and instead to take action to save her home! Be #Vegan 🍓🌱 #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife 🌴🪔🚫 in the supermarket! @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-97b

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https://youtu.be/hFfsonkN1Vc

The playful and pudgy mammal that went viral from its Thai zoo enclosure has a sad story to tell about her fellows hippos. Moo Deng is the two-month-old pygmy hippo who flicks her ears in joy and likes splashing in water. She lives the life of a superstar at Khao Kheow Open Zoo, where huge crowds have massed – but the chances of spotting her relatives in the wild are slim.

Pygmy hippos Choeropsis liberiensis are endangered and estimated to number fewer than 2,500. Their decline has been drastic: a long-term survey in a national park in Ivory Coast found 12,000 pygmy hippos in 1982; 5,000 in 1997 and 2,000 in 2011. Today, these hippos are scarce across their native west Africa.

Pygmy Hippopotamus Choeropsis liberiensis

Long before chubby #MooDeng 🦛💔 the baby pygmy hippo chonk became an #socialmedia sensation, the forest habitat of the beautiful pygmy #Hippo 🦛of #Guinea #Liberia 🇱🇷 #Africa was being razed for palmoil, cocoa and other crops. They now endangered. Such beautiful creatures deserve to be saved! Fight back and #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🪔🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife every time you…

by Palm Oil DetectivesFebruary 15, 2021November 16, 2024

Perhaps it’s not surprising that pygmy hippos feel most comfortable deep in the forest. Early European explorers to Liberia wrote in their diaries that this hippo chooses to forage at night and conceal itself in the water or in dense vegetation during the day.

So secretive is this species that 19th-century explorers observed:

if someone walks across one of their paths or tunnels (used to navigate through thick vegetation), they will abandon that route for a while.

Sensitive souls

Widespread deforestation and constant disturbance have made it difficult for pygmy hippos to survive, requiring as they do a combination of dense forests and swamps which already restricted them to a small area. West African forests have lost over 80% of their original area, which confines wild pygmy hippos to small spots in Gola National Forest (Sierra Leone) and Sapo National Park (Liberia).
The world once had several pygmy hippo species. Only one remains, in West Africa. IUCN, CC BY-SA
With their forests rapidly disappearing, there simply isn’t enough space for pygmy hippos to find food, thrive and reproduce. A survey in the Gola rainforest and its surroundings revealed that many were hiding on former cropland outside the protected area.

Cocoa production is probably the biggest cause of forest loss, then gold mining and unsustainable logging. These activities now encroach on forest reserves and other supposedly protected areas.

Previous forest conservation efforts have failed. Conservationists argue for a system to financially reward farmers and authorise local forestry communities to safeguard the forests and sustainably manage what remains, as opposed to a top-down model of state management and enforcement.

A world treasure

West Africa’s forest loss is particularly heartbreaking as research shows that a remaining patch may be the most productive on Earth, surpassing even the Amazon rainforest.

Particularly productive forests harness more of the sun’s energy and turn it into lots of palatable herbs and juicy fruits – more food to support animals like pygmy hippos, and so foster rich biodiversity.

Before extensive fieldwork beginning in 2016, researchers had underestimated the value of west African forests, particularly their capacity to store carbon and thereby offset global warming. This oversight was partly the result of these forests being hidden by clouds, which makes satellite observation difficult, and their relative neglect by western researchers compared with other ecosystems elsewhere.

It’s not just Moo Deng’s wider family that is at risk. West African forests are home to more than 900 bird species and nearly 400 mammals – more than a quarter of all mammal species in Africa. Their future is highly threatened by extensive deforestation.

Underestimating the value of west African forests has kept them off the priority list for global forest restoration. It’s sadly not surprising that deforestation continues. In 2022 alone Ghana lost 44,500 acres of forest (twice the size of Manchester), close to a 70% increase from 2021.

Each tropical forest contributes irreplaceable biodiversity. From the elusive mammals of west Africa to the vibrant birds of south-east Asia, these ecosystems are equally important. Comprehensive plans are needed to restore them which involve empowering local communities to manage their long-term health.

A global initiative to designate 30% of Earth’s land and ocean as protected by 2030 (known as 30×30) should not conserve a vast area in one or two places, ignoring Earth’s other biodiversity hotspots. The lesson of Moo Deng’s disappearing home should be to value ecosystems equally – and plan their preservation with equal care.

Written by Huanyuan Zhang-Zheng, College Lecturer at Worcester College, and Postdoctoral Researcher at School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford and Sulemana Bawa, PhD Candidate in Conservation Biology, University of OxfordThis article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

ENDS

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Global
South America
S.E. Asia
India
Africa
West Papua & PNG

Sloth Bear Melursus ursinus

Keep reading

Nicobar Long-Tailed Macaque Macaca fascicularis umbrosa

Keep reading

Phayre’s Leaf Monkey Trachypithecus phayrei

Keep reading

Giant Pangolin Smutsia gigantea

Keep reading

Solomon Islands skink Corucia zebrata

Keep reading

Andean Mountain Cat Leopardus jacobita

Keep reading

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

Lying
Fake labels
Indigenous Land-grabbing
Human rights abuses
Deforestation
Human health hazards

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

Read more

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Sign Up

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez in His Own Words

Read more

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Read more

Anthropologist and author of ‘In the Shadow of the Palms’ Dr Sophie Chao: In Her Own Words

Read more

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen: In His Own Words

Read more

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

Read more

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

Read more

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Pledge your support

#animalBehaviour #AnimalBiodiversityNews #animalCommunication #animalCruelty #animalExtinction #animalIntelligence #animalRights #biodiversity #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #deforestation #hippo #MooDeng #MooDeng #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #PygmyHippopotamusChoeropsisLiberiensis #vegan

If chubby and cantankerous pygmy #hippo 🦛named #MooDeng could talk, she'd tell us all to stop gawking at her online and instead to take action to save her home! Be #Vegan 🍓🌱 #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife 🌴🪔🚫 in the supermarket!

http://palmoildetectives.com/2024/12/07/if-you-love-moo-deng-help-to-save-her-home/

Palm Oil Detectives

2024-12-06 14:19:00

If You Love Moo Deng, Help to Save Her Home!

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Moo Deng, the chubby, moody and adorable baby pygmy hippo has highlighted the plight of these elusive large mammals living in Africa’s rainforest and mangrove environments. The message to animal lovers is clear, if you love Moo Deng then take action for her home and boycott products coming from African deforestation like palm oil, cocoa and meat. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

---

If chubby and cantankerous pygmy #hippo 🦛named #MooDeng could talk, she’d tell us all to stop gawking at her online and instead to take action to save her home! Be #Vegan 🍓🌱 #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife 🌴🪔🚫 in the supermarket! @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-97b

Share to BlueSky
Share to Twitter

---

https://youtu.be/hFfsonkN1Vc

The playful and pudgy mammal that went viral from its Thai zoo enclosure has a sad story to tell about her fellows hippos. Moo Deng is the two-month-old pygmy hippo who flicks her ears in joy and likes splashing in water. She lives the life of a superstar at Khao Kheow Open Zoo, where huge crowds have massed – but the chances of spotting her relatives in the wild are slim.

Pygmy hippos Choeropsis liberiensis are endangered and estimated to number fewer than 2,500. Their decline has been drastic: a long-term survey in a national park in Ivory Coast found 12,000 pygmy hippos in 1982; 5,000 in 1997 and 2,000 in 2011. Today, these hippos are scarce across their native west Africa.

Pygmy Hippopotamus Choeropsis liberiensis

Long before chubby #MooDeng 🦛💔 the baby pygmy hippo chonk became an #socialmedia sensation, the forest habitat of the beautiful pygmy #Hippo 🦛of #Guinea #Liberia 🇱🇷 #Africa was being razed for palmoil, cocoa and other crops. They now endangered. Such beautiful creatures deserve to be saved! Fight back and #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🪔🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife every time you…

by Palm Oil DetectivesFebruary 15, 2021November 16, 2024

Perhaps it’s not surprising that pygmy hippos feel most comfortable deep in the forest. Early European explorers to Liberia wrote in their diaries that this hippo chooses to forage at night and conceal itself in the water or in dense vegetation during the day.

So secretive is this species that 19th-century explorers observed:

if someone walks across one of their paths or tunnels (used to navigate through thick vegetation), they will abandon that route for a while.

Sensitive souls

Widespread deforestation and constant disturbance have made it difficult for pygmy hippos to survive, requiring as they do a combination of dense forests and swamps which already restricted them to a small area. West African forests have lost over 80% of their original area, which confines wild pygmy hippos to small spots in Gola National Forest (Sierra Leone) and Sapo National Park (Liberia).
The world once had several pygmy hippo species. Only one remains, in West Africa. IUCN, CC BY-SA
With their forests rapidly disappearing, there simply isn’t enough space for pygmy hippos to find food, thrive and reproduce. A survey in the Gola rainforest and its surroundings revealed that many were hiding on former cropland outside the protected area.

Cocoa production is probably the biggest cause of forest loss, then gold mining and unsustainable logging. These activities now encroach on forest reserves and other supposedly protected areas.

Previous forest conservation efforts have failed. Conservationists argue for a system to financially reward farmers and authorise local forestry communities to safeguard the forests and sustainably manage what remains, as opposed to a top-down model of state management and enforcement.

A world treasure

West Africa’s forest loss is particularly heartbreaking as research shows that a remaining patch may be the most productive on Earth, surpassing even the Amazon rainforest.

Particularly productive forests harness more of the sun’s energy and turn it into lots of palatable herbs and juicy fruits – more food to support animals like pygmy hippos, and so foster rich biodiversity.

Before extensive fieldwork beginning in 2016, researchers had underestimated the value of west African forests, particularly their capacity to store carbon and thereby offset global warming. This oversight was partly the result of these forests being hidden by clouds, which makes satellite observation difficult, and their relative neglect by western researchers compared with other ecosystems elsewhere.

It’s not just Moo Deng’s wider family that is at risk. West African forests are home to more than 900 bird species and nearly 400 mammals – more than a quarter of all mammal species in Africa. Their future is highly threatened by extensive deforestation.

Underestimating the value of west African forests has kept them off the priority list for global forest restoration. It’s sadly not surprising that deforestation continues. In 2022 alone Ghana lost 44,500 acres of forest (twice the size of Manchester), close to a 70% increase from 2021.

Each tropical forest contributes irreplaceable biodiversity. From the elusive mammals of west Africa to the vibrant birds of south-east Asia, these ecosystems are equally important. Comprehensive plans are needed to restore them which involve empowering local communities to manage their long-term health.

A global initiative to designate 30% of Earth’s land and ocean as protected by 2030 (known as 30×30) should not conserve a vast area in one or two places, ignoring Earth’s other biodiversity hotspots. The lesson of Moo Deng’s disappearing home should be to value ecosystems equally – and plan their preservation with equal care.

Written by Huanyuan Zhang-Zheng, College Lecturer at Worcester College, and Postdoctoral Researcher at School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford and Sulemana Bawa, PhD Candidate in Conservation Biology, University of OxfordThis article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

ENDS

---

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Global
South America
S.E. Asia
India
Africa
West Papua & PNG

Sloth Bear Melursus ursinus

Keep reading

Nicobar Long-Tailed Macaque Macaca fascicularis umbrosa

Keep reading

Phayre’s Leaf Monkey Trachypithecus phayrei

Keep reading

Giant Pangolin Smutsia gigantea

Keep reading

Solomon Islands skink Corucia zebrata

Keep reading

Andean Mountain Cat Leopardus jacobita

Keep reading

---

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

Lying
Fake labels
Indigenous Land-grabbing
Human rights abuses
Deforestation
Human health hazards

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

Read more

---

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Sign Up

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez in His Own Words

Read more

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Read more

Anthropologist and author of ‘In the Shadow of the Palms’ Dr Sophie Chao: In Her Own Words

Read more

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen: In His Own Words

Read more

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

Read more

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

Read more

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Pledge your support

#animalBehaviour #AnimalBiodiversityNews #animalCommunication #animalCruelty #animalExtinction #animalIntelligence #animalRights #biodiversity #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #deforestation #hippo #MooDeng #MooDeng #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #PygmyHippopotamusChoeropsisLiberiensis #vegan

Conserving West Africa’s Forests

For Nature, People and Climate

^{RSPB (Esri)}

Large herbivores such as elephants contribute to tree diversity

A recent study using satellite data has highlighted the critical role that large herbivores play in promoting tree diversity in forest ecosystems. The research showed that areas with abundant large herbivores like elephants had more varied tree cover and more tree diversity. This finding underscores the importance of large herbivores in many ecosystems and that they should have primary importance in conservation strategies, particularly in the context of global efforts to combat climate change and extinction. Help big herbivores every time you shop and #Boycottpalmoil and #Boycott4Wildlife in the supermarket!

Recent #research finds that lots of large #herbivores like #elephants 🦏🐘help plant #biodiversity in rainforests! Help big plant eaters and #plants to survive! 🐘🩶#Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife 🧐🪔⛔️ @palmoildetect.bsky.social https://wp.me/pcFhgU-7dB

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Soulful #elephants 🐘💗 are not only intelligent, they add more tree cover and #tree diversity, finds this landmark #study. All #elephant species are threatened by #palmoil #deforestation and #poaching for ivory. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife 🌴🔥⛔ @palmoildetect.bsky.social https://wp.me/pcFhgU-7dB

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Cover image credit: A Sumatran elephant enjoys a playful river dip, by Craig Jones Wildlife Photography

Lanhui Wang, Joris P.G.M. Cromsigt, Robert Buitenwerf, Erick J. Lundgren, Wang Li, Elisabeth S. Bakker, Jens-Christian Svenning. Tree cover and its heterogeneity in natural ecosystems is linked to large herbivore biomass globally. One Earth, 2023; DOI: 10.1016/j.oneear.2023.10.007 Media release from Lund University. “Large herbivores such as elephants, bison and moose contribute to tree diversity.” ScienceDaily, 3 November 2023.

Maintaining species-rich and resilient ecosystems is key to preserving biodiversity and mitigating climate change. Here, megafauna — the part of the animal population in an area that is made up of the largest animals — plays an important role. In a new study published in the scientific journal One Earth, an international research team, of which Lund University is a part, has investigated the intricate interplay between the number of voracious herbivores like elephants and the diversity of trees in the world’s protected areas.

“Our findings reveal a fascinating and complex story of how large herbivorous animals shape the world’s natural landscapes. The tree cover in these areas is sparser, but the diversity of the tree cover is much higher than in areas without large herbivores,” says Lanhui Wang, a researcher in physical geography and ecosystem science at Lund University.

“In our global analysis, we find a substantial association between the biomass of large herbivores and varied tree cover in protected areas, notably for browsers and mixed-feeders such as elephants, bison and moose and in non-extreme climates,” explains the study’s senior author, Jens-Christian Svenning, professor at Aarhus University.

Hereby, the study supports that large wild herbivores promote a diverse vegetation structure, creating a rich habitat for many other species. This is due to the animals’ consumption of vegetation as well as physical disturbances.

According to Lanhui Wang, these new research findings highlight the need to integrate large herbivores into restoration and conservation strategies. Not only for the sake of the animals themselves but also for the vital role they play in shaping landscapes and influencing biodiversity. The researchers argue that this aspect is not sufficiently considered within the framework of sustainable land management and ecosystem restoration.

“At a time when global initiatives are intensely focused on combating climate change and biodiversity loss, our findings highlight the need for a broader and more nuanced discussion about ecosystem management and conservation measures. It is of utmost importance to integrate understanding of the ecological impact of megafauna into this,” says Lanhui Wang.

The UN has declared the 2020s as the decade of ecosystem restoration. In total, 115 countries have agreed to restore up to 100,000 square kilometres of nature in total. To achieve this, more wild-living large herbivores are needed worldwide, says Lanhui Wang.

“I believe that we will need to protect and conserve large herbivores to achieve the UN goals. Megafauna are crucial for tree cover, which in turn promotes carbon sequestration and a diversity of habitats,” says Lanhui Wang.

Lanhui Wang, Joris P.G.M. Cromsigt, Robert Buitenwerf, Erick J. Lundgren, Wang Li, Elisabeth S. Bakker, Jens-Christian Svenning. Tree cover and its heterogeneity in natural ecosystems is linked to large herbivore biomass globally. One Earth, 2023; DOI: 10.1016/j.oneear.2023.10.007 Media release from Lund University. “Large herbivores such as elephants, bison and moose contribute to tree diversity.” ScienceDaily, 3 November 2023.

ENDS

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Global
South America
S.E. Asia
India
Africa
West Papua & PNG

Sloth Bear Melursus ursinus

Keep reading

Nicobar Long-Tailed Macaque Macaca fascicularis umbrosa

Keep reading

Phayre’s Leaf Monkey Trachypithecus phayrei

Keep reading

Giant Pangolin Smutsia gigantea

Keep reading

Solomon Islands skink Corucia zebrata

Keep reading

Andean Mountain Cat Leopardus jacobita

Keep reading

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

Lying
Fake labels
Indigenous Land-grabbing
Human rights abuses
Deforestation
Human health hazards

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

Read more

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Sign Up

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez in His Own Words

Read more

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Read more

Anthropologist and author of ‘In the Shadow of the Palms’ Dr Sophie Chao: In Her Own Words

Read more

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen: In His Own Words

Read more

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

Read more

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

Read more

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Pledge your support

#AfricanElephant #biodiversity #BorneanPygmyElephantElephasMaximusBorneensis #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #deforestation #ecology #elephant #elephants #EndangeredSpecies #herbivores #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #plants #poaching #research #study #SumatranElephantElephasMaximusSumatranus #tree #WorldElephantDay